The Warlord
Mongoose
So, I understand they're cheesy in a Hercules and Xena way, but ahs anyone watched the Beastmaster or Conan shows? Do they have any redeemable value?
Thinking about a rental...
Thinking about a rental...
TV Shows
- Thread starter The Warlord
- Start date
Beastmaster was a favorite of mine until the climatic episodes of its last season. The ending was clearly rushed, suggesting that someone yanked the plug and they crammed the rest of the planned storyline into their remaining airtime. Out of the 4 shows mentioned (Beastmaster, Hercules, Xena, and Conan) this might have been the best one. I think it had some of the best characters and the most consistent storyline, though I didn't like the abrupt disappearance several supporting characters between seasons 2 and 3. Co-starring Marc Singer, the movie Beastmaster, in the last season was a nice touch in my book. The movie was also a favorite of mine at one time.
On the flipside, the Conan TV series is probably considered widely to be the WORST in its genre. There's no question that Robert E. Howard would be appalled if he saw what they did with his creation. The show is about as untrue to Howard as you can possibly get. That being said, I personally enjoy the show simply for amusement value. It is to REH's Conan and even the Arnold movies what the Hercules show is to classical mythology, and essentially what Spaceballs is to the original Star Wars trilogy... a SPOOF. I personally found the Conan series more entertaining than Hercules and Xena (got bored with the former, never watched the latter).
On the flipside, the Conan TV series is probably considered widely to be the WORST in its genre. There's no question that Robert E. Howard would be appalled if he saw what they did with his creation. The show is about as untrue to Howard as you can possibly get. That being said, I personally enjoy the show simply for amusement value. It is to REH's Conan and even the Arnold movies what the Hercules show is to classical mythology, and essentially what Spaceballs is to the original Star Wars trilogy... a SPOOF. I personally found the Conan series more entertaining than Hercules and Xena (got bored with the former, never watched the latter).
Odovacar's Ghost
Mongoose
The only conan TV show that I enjoyed, was the Manbeast one. That one was so helarious.
Hercules and Xena may have been cheesy but they had some talented people working behind the camera on a lot of the eipsodes (espically in the scriptwritting and directing departments) and they benefited from that a lot.
The Beastmaster and Conan shows were low-budget attempts to cash in on a fad started by other low-budget shows! They were utter crap.
Verdict: no redeeming value whatsoever.
Though the old Conan: The Adventurer cartoon was good fun if you can find it...
The Beastmaster and Conan shows were low-budget attempts to cash in on a fad started by other low-budget shows! They were utter crap.
Verdict: no redeeming value whatsoever.
Though the old Conan: The Adventurer cartoon was good fun if you can find it...
Yup. And then there was that Robin Hood show.
Sooner or later there'll be a good and serious heroic fantasy TV series with decent ratings, and then there'll be more. Till then, idiot network executives will stick to idiot Xena clones (with none of the wit Hercules and Xena sometimes had).
Sooner or later there'll be a good and serious heroic fantasy TV series with decent ratings, and then there'll be more. Till then, idiot network executives will stick to idiot Xena clones (with none of the wit Hercules and Xena sometimes had).
Jason Durall
Mongoose
Faraer said:
Oddly enough, originally, Sam Raimi and company were going to do a Conan television series, but the rights were either unavailable or too expensive... so they switched to public domain friendly Hercules for their main character.
The first season had a few hicups as they got their legs under them. After that it quickly became one of the best fantasy TV shows ever made. Deep compelling characters, excellent acting, good writting and directing, high production values, very good coregraphy for the sword-fighting sequences, just the right mix of drama and comedy. Easily one of my all-time favorite shows.Belkregos said:
Too bad the spin-off show about Amanda didn't make it. I always liked Amanda though she really was better as a foil for Duncan than as a main character. Now a spin-off about Methos, that might have potential ...
Later.
OMG, I had completely forgotten about that Robin Hood show. I caught a couple episodes of that one when I was in college. That one was even goofier than Conan.
As bad and as utterly WRONG as the Conan show was, I still can't help but get some amusement out of watching an occasional episode on DVD. Danny Woodburn is HILARIOUS.
The animated Conan the Adventurer, that was good. They BETTER put that one on DVD sooner or later.
IF the Hercules team had actually done Conan instead... we can only wonder what if!
As bad and as utterly WRONG as the Conan show was, I still can't help but get some amusement out of watching an occasional episode on DVD. Danny Woodburn is HILARIOUS.
The animated Conan the Adventurer, that was good. They BETTER put that one on DVD sooner or later.
IF the Hercules team had actually done Conan instead... we can only wonder what if!
There was a Sinbad show as well!
What about Roar, I only caught about one episode, late one night but it looked OK.
The Conan show is utter crap. I bought the DVD set (the show has not been shown in the Uk and as an avid REH fan I had to have it), I have watch one and a 1/2 discs so far and am having real trouble working myself up to watch anymore.
What about Roar, I only caught about one episode, late one night but it looked OK.
The Conan show is utter crap. I bought the DVD set (the show has not been shown in the Uk and as an avid REH fan I had to have it), I have watch one and a 1/2 discs so far and am having real trouble working myself up to watch anymore.
Odovacar's Ghost
Mongoose
They have a dvd set? I need to put that on my list of items to buy. The manling episode was so bad, I have to watch the rest of them.
Bjorn the Barbarian
Mongoose
Another good TV show was the Robin Hood series on Showtime back in the early eighties. It was well done.
Another good show was Crossbow (William Tell). I think it was a British product, but I am not sure.
Speaking of Sinbad, the first couple of episodes looked promising, but it went down hill by the fourth.
Another good show was Crossbow (William Tell). I think it was a British product, but I am not sure.
Speaking of Sinbad, the first couple of episodes looked promising, but it went down hill by the fourth.
